INDIA’S  YOUNG  MEN 

Their  Perils  and  Safeguards 


India’s  Young  Men 

Their  Perils  and 


BY 


Edward  C.  Carter 

Secretary  Indian  National  Council  Young  Men’s 
Christian  Associations 


New  York 

The  International  Committee 
of  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations 
1905 


Young  Men’s  Christian  Association,  Madras 


INDIA’S  YOUNG  MEN 


It  was  in  one  of  the  smaller  Indian  stations  that  a leading 
Hindu  remarked  with  sincerity:  “Many  of  our  people  are 
attracted  by  the  purity  of  the  teachings  of  your  sacred 
writings,  but  the  attainment  of  a pure  life  seems  just  as 
difficult  for  the  Christian  as  for  the  Hindu.  Of  the  half 
dozen  European  Christians  in  this  town,  five  are  lead- 
ing lives  as  purely  animal  as  the  most  sensual  rajah  in 
the  province;  the  sixth,  the  ‘padre  sahib/  leads  a pure  life 
and  one  of  great  sacrifice,  but  his  life  does  not  reflect  credit 
on  your  religion,  for  I understand  that  the  missionaries  are 
hired  on  the  understanding  that  they  live  above  suspicion.” 
The  missionary  knows  no  sadder  sight  than  that  of  the 
British  soldier  or  the  American  seaman  (who  to  the  native 
is,  of  course,  a “Christian”)  staggering  intoxicated  from  an 
oriental  brothel,  a jeering  crowd  of  coolies  at  his  heels. 
After  his  sojourn  abroad  Tommy  Atkins  sings: 

“ Ship  me  somewheres  east  of  Suez,  where  the  best  is  like 
the  worst, 

Where  there  aren’t  no  Ten  Commandments,  an’  a man 
can  raise  a thirst.” 

And  not  only  a thirst  for  whiskey,  but  a fiery,  demon-like 
thirst  for  long  nights  of  reveling  after  the  scorching  days; 
a thirst  for  that  thrilling  recklessness  of  absolute  self- 


abandonment  which  creeps  over  him  with  the  thought  that 
winding  lanes,  green  fields,  and  happy  kindred  are  leagues 
and  leagues  away  and  he  is  unnoticed  and  alone. 

If  Here  Then  There 

If  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  is  needed  in 
North  America,  where  the  restraints  of  home  and  Church 
and  society  are  numerous  and  alert,  it  is  thrice  needed  for 
the  European  (in  India  all  white  men  whether  American  or 
British  are  classed  as  Europeans),  in  a land  where  whole- 
some ideas  are  not  all-pervading — where  the  every-day  re- 
ligious exercises  of  the  common  people  are  loathsome 
rather  than  uplifting,  sensual  rather  than  inspiring.  In  In- 
dia homesickness,  the  depressing  environment  of  low  stand- 
ards, an  almost  universal  ignorance,  and  a widespread  ser- 
vility combine  to  undermine  even  the  strongest  characters. 
With  great  wisdom  large  sums  of  money  are  being  spent 
by  Christian  people  on  mission  work  in  India.  The  god- 
less, careless  lives  of  Europeans  are  conceded  to  be  ob- 
stacles to  the  largest  success.  It  is  apparent  that  in  order 
to  safeguard  these  generous  investments,  money  and  en- 
ergy must  be  used  in  throwing  about  the  European  young 
men  influences  which  make  for  righteousness.  If  the  Scot- 
tish employer  of  hundreds  of  Indian  laborers  is  a man  of 
low  morals,  his  example  will  raise  impenetrable  barriers  to 
the  influence  of  the  missionary  in  the  same  district. 

“Chummeries” 

In  the  large  cities  of  India  the  Association  aims  to  equip 
modern  buildings  with  the  usual  features  of  the  best  North 
American  Associations.  One  of  the  most  fruitful  of  these  is 
provision  for  “a  home  away  from  home.”  Most  of  the 
boarding  houses  and  hotels  are  unattractive;  worse  than 


4 


this,  they  are  usually  centers  of  gambling  and  intemperance. 
The  “chummery,”  where  a group  of  fellows  club  together, 
hire  their  own  butler,  and  keep  bachelor  quarters,  is  an 
effort  to  realize  a more  homelike  life.  Even  the  chum- 
meries are  honeycombed  with  temptation  for  the  lad  just 
landed  from  the  homeland.  When  the  Imperial  Census  was 
being  taken  in  Rangoon,  at  a house  where  a half  dozen 
young  business  men  were  living,  one  of  the  servants  without 
hesitation  stated  that  he  was  the  procurer  for  the  house. 
So  faulty  has  been  the  standard  in  European  society  that 
when  a retired  officer,  whom  the  whole  city  knew  had  kept 
a mistress  in  his  house  for  years,  was  influenced  by  a friend 
to  do  the  right  thing  and  marry,  he  was  blackballed  in  the 
club,  and  at  once  completely  ostracised  from  society  be- 
caused  he  had  married  such  a woman. 

A Right  Start 

Because  the  first  few  months  so  often  determine  a man’s 
destiny  in  India  we  make  it  possible  for  new  arrivals  to 
come  to  the  Association  boarding  house,  live  there  for  six 
months  or  so,  and  when  they  have  made  acquaintance  of 
strong,  clean  friends,  then  they  move  out,  and  make  way  for 
others  fresh  from  home.  Two  young  Scots  landed  by  the 
same  steamer  to  join  a firm  in  one  of  the  great  port  cities; 
one  was  persuaded  to  live  at  the  Association ; the  other  went 
to  a chummery  because  he  said  he  wanted  to  get  on  fast 
and  so  must  get  in  with  “the  crowd”  from  the  start.  The 
first,  through  the  influence  of  the  Association,  was  led  to  a 
personal  knowledge  of  the  Savior,  joined  the  Church,  and  to- 
day, as  the  head  of  his  department,  is  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful forces  for  righteousness  in  the  city.  The  other  did  get 
on  “fast,”  but  in  another  direction ; his  passions  became  his 
master.  When  it  was  too  late  he  pleaded  to  be  taken  into 


5 


Members  of  the  Association  Hostel,  Rangoon 


the  Association  boarding  house.  His  firm  had  already- 
booked  his  passage  home,  and  thither  he  went,  one  of  the 
sad  bits  of  wreckage  that  line  the  triumphant  course  of  mod- 
ern commercialism. 

If  this  world-wide  expansion  of  trade  is  to  bring  the 
largest  good,  the  business  men  of  Christendom  must  invest 
largely  in  the  Association’s  effort,  not  merely  to  make  men 
cleaner  and  fitter  for  the  day’s  work.  They  must  be  turned 
into  such  loyal  believers  in  the  expansion  of  the  teachings 
of  Christ  that  they  shall  use  their  unique  influence  as  men 
of  affairs  to  strengthen  and  make  even  more  effective  the 
splendid  work  of  the  missionaries. 

The  Primary  Task 

The  Association  is  not  in  India,  however,  primarily  to 
save  Europeans  from  themselves.  The  most  urgent  cry  has 
been  that  of  the  crisis  among  educated  Indians.  It  has  long 
been  the  policy  of  Britain  to  throw  upon  the  Indian  peoples 
as  much  responsibility  as  possible  for  the  administration  of 
the  Government.  Of  144,150  appointments  holding  *Rs. 
1,000  annually  ninety-seven  per  cent  are  filled  by  the  natives 
of  India  themselves.  To  fit  the  Indian,  who  has  been  used 
to  a feudal  order,  to  have  a part  in  this  well-nigh  democratic 
administration  of  affairs,  requires  a modern  and  Western 
education.  Following  the  lead  of  the  missionaries,  who 
have  ever  been  the  pioneers  of  education,  Britain  has  built 
up  a splendid  system  of  schools  and  colleges.  There  are 
180  colleges  for  men  in  the  Empire  and  the  Government  has 
great  universities  at  Calcutta,  Madras,  Bombay,  Lahore,  and 
Allahabad.  The  Indian  student  of  to-day  works  almost 
wholly  in  the  English  language,  and  takes  up  about  the 
same  subjects  as  the  English  lad  at  Eton  and  Oxford. 


*A  rupee  equals  one-third  of  a dollar. 


What  must  be  the  influence  of  a handful  of  college  trained 
men  in  a land  where  only  twelve  per  cent  of  the  male  popu- 
lation can  read.  These  students  are  to  be  the  leaders  of  the 
nation.  As  magistrates,  revenue  officers,  judges,  lawyers, 
inspectors  of  traffic  and  trade — replacing  the  rajahs  and 
princes  of  olden  times — they  will  have  supreme  influence  in 
village  and  district.  These  are  to  shape  the  thought  and 
mould  the  lives  of  India’s  myriads. 

Shattering  Idols 

During  schooldays  the  new  knowledge  of  the  Occident  is 
hardly  assimilated.  The  boy  still  remains  devoted  to  the 
superstitious  religious  observances  of  his  home.  In  an  out 
of  the  way  town  I once  saw  a high  school  boy,  just  out  from 
recitations,  his  books  under  his  arm,  starting  down  the 
street  for  home.  He  saw  a Brahman  approaching ; kneeling, 
he  laid  his  Shakespeare  on  the  ground,  and  with  his  hands 
wiped  the  dust  from  the  dirty  bare  feet  of  the  Brahman  and 
then  drew  his  hands  over  his  forehead  and  eyes— because 
the  very  dust  from  the  holy  man’s  feet  was  purifying  to  him. 

When  he  leaves  school,  however,  and  goes  up  to  the  great 
university,  for  the  first  time  he  begins  to  appreciate  the 
learning  of  the  West.  The  modern  commercial  spirit  is 
everywhere  evident.  On  the  train  en  route  from  home  he 
travels  in  a modern  car.  At  every  side  station  he  no- 
tices Eurasian  officials,  hustling  holy  Brahmans  and  coolie 
outcasts  into  the  same  seat.  Arriving  at  his  destination, 
Madras,  Calcutta  or  Bombay,  he  is'  thunderstruck  by  the 
maze  of  trolley  cars,  the  telegraphs,  automobiles,  great  de- 
partment stores,  magnificent  hotels,  parks,  and  boulevards. 
An  air  of  scorn  for  anything  that  savors  of  the  old  vil- 
lage worship  pervades  the  college  lecture  room.  The 
“Holi,”  which  used  to  bring  merriment  as  a boy,  now  ap- 


8 


Presidency  College,  Madras 

pears  as  one  of  the  most  obscenely  disgusting  of  religious 
observances.  Features  of  the  Mahurram,  which  used  to 
seem  harmless  enough,  he  now  taboos  as  the  fanaticism  of 
the  ignorant  crowd.  In  a word  the  scales  are  falling  from 
his  eyes.  The  old  implicit  faith  in  Hinduism  has  vanished; 
with  this  discovery  comes  lack  of  faith  in  good.  Far  better 
that  he  be  held  by  his  parents’  religion  than  pass  through  the 
critical  college  days  and  on  into  life  without  any  religion  at 
all.  There  is  a sad  irony  in  the  college,  that  by  its  Western 
teaching  shatters  the  student’s  faith  in  his  ancestral  rites 
and  at  the  same  time  is  unable  (because  it  is  a govern- 
ment institution)  to  give  a knowledge  of  the  one  religion 
which  will  be  satisfying. 


9 


Onslaught  of  Vice 


At  this  period  in  the  Indian  student’s  life,  when  he  is 
most  in  need  of  a lofty  ideal  and  religious  inspiration,  he  is 
assailed  as  never  before  by  fierce  temptation.  Oriental  im- 
morality tinged  with  the  commercial  spirit  of  the  West 
trebles  its  agents  and  flings  insidious  inducements  to  vice 
into  the  very  face  of  the  student.  Many  a boy  going  to  his 
lodgings  from  school  has  to  pass  through  streets  which  are 
flanked  with  the  glittering  divans  of  the  harlot.  Vice,  cheap, 
widespread,  and  attractive,  is  ever  dangerous,  but  when  it 
beckons  the  passionate  Indian  youth  who  has  spurned  his 
old  religion  and  is  adrift,  a sceptic,  its  voice  lures  to  the 
very  depths  of  hell. 

What  a fearful  responsibility  the  missionaries  have  placed 
on  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  by  summoning 
it  to  the  mighty  task  of  helping  to  save  India  from  dom- 
ination by  an  intellectual  aristocracy  that  has  renounced 
religion,  and  finds  its  ideals  in  personal  ambition  and  pas- 
sion. The  North  American  Associations  did  well  to  delay 
long  and  tremblingly  before  picking  up  the  gauntlet  which 
was  flung  at  their  feet. 

Called  by  the  Church 

The  Association  is  in  India  at  the  call  of  the  mission- 
aries who  represent  the  Christian  Church.  It  was  in  1887 
that  Dr.  Jacob  Chamberlain,  of  India,  came  to  Northfield  to 
urge  the  claims  of  that  land  upon  the  Young  Men’s  Chris- 
tian Association.  In  1888,  the  missionaries  of  the  evangel- 
ical churches  of  Madras  sent  an  appeal  to  the  International 
Committee,  asking  that  a secretary  be  sent  to  their  city. 
The  International  Convention,  which  met  in  Philadelphia 
in  1889,  authorized  the  appointment  of  a secretary  to  work 


10 


in  Madras.  Mr.  David  McConaughy,  the  general  secre- 
tary at  Philadelphia,  sailed  in  October,  1889.  No  more 
striking  testimony  to  the  work  has  been  presented  than  a 
resolution  passed  at  the  Decennial  Missionary  Conference 
in  Madras  in  1902,  which  was  the  most  representative  gath- 
ering of  missionaries  ever  held  in  India;  all  the  Protestant 
societies  sent  their  ablest  leaders.  The  resolution  reads  as 
follows  : 

The  Conference  hereby  records  its  hearty  and  thorough 
appreciation  of  the  work  of  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  As- 
sociation in  India,  Burma  and  Ceylon.  The  Conference 
commends  its  general  principles  and  methods,  and  affection- 
ately accords  to  those  engaged  in  its  work  its  prayers  and 
fellowship,  and  emphasizes  the  strong  claim  which  the 
Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  work  in  India  has  al- 
ready established  upon  the  prayers,  sympathy  and  support 
of  the  Home  Churches. 

Not  a Side  Issue 

Now  that  at  last  the  obligation  has  been  assumed,  there 
is  nothing  ahead  but  increasing  energy  and  sacrifice.  Let 
this  not  appear  as  a mere  side  issue  in  the  work  of  the  home 
Associations.  Unless  we  spring  into  the  fray  with  our  best 
men  backed  by  most  generous  resources,  the  North  American 
Associations  will  have  failed  to  discharge  their  duty  to  the 
Church  of  Christ.  The  missionaries  who  have  bade  us  do 
this  work  are  the  ambassadors  of  the  home  Church  which 
every  local  Association  aims  to  serve. 

Occidental  Principles  in  Oriental  Problems 

The  same  principles  underlie  the  Association  work  at 
home  and  abroad.  The  Indian  student,  like  his  cousins 
across  the  seas,  has  a body,  a mind,  and  a soul.  Our  largest 
Associations  have  well  equipped  gymnasiums.  Much  at- 
tention is  given  to  out-of-door  recreation.  Association 


ll 


Open  Air  Meeting 

teams  have  stood  high  in  public  athletic  contests.  The 
occasions  for  social  intercourse  are  doing  much  to  establish 
the  idea,  so  foreign  to  India,  of  a universal  brotherhood. 
The  public  restaurant  and  lunch  counter  has  been  potent  in 
breaking  down  the  artificial  restrictions  of  caste  and  racial 
jealousy. 

Keystone  Department 

The  department  which  towers  above  all  others  is  that  of 
religious  work.  To  many  a student,  doubting  his  own  re- 
ligion, we  have  been  able  to  open  the  Bible  for  the  first 
time.  Bible  classes,  personal  work,  lectures  on  Christianity, 
and  preaching  in  the  open  air  to  great  audiences  of  college 
men  are  means  used  effectively.  Many  come  from  curiosity 
and  some  to  hear  correct  English,  but  others  come  in  ear- 
nestness to  discover  the  way  of  life.  Appeals  to  lecture  on 


12 


Christianity  have  come  to  us  from  colleges  where  there  was 
not  a single  Christian  student.  In  one  college,  after  I had 
spoken  without  compromise  on  the  supremacy  of  Chris- 
tianity, the  Hindu  students  and  professors  waited  on  me  in 
a body,  begging  me  to  remain  with  them  a solid  fortnight. 

Bible  study  is  conspicuous  among  Association  activities, 
for  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  is  the  prime  thing  that  we 
have  to  give.  An  increase  over  last  year  in  the  number  of 
students  in  Bible  classes  of  over  fifty-eight  per  cent  indicates 
the  possibilities  in  this  department.  With  an  exceedingly 
inadequate  staff  of  secretaries  we  are  touching  the  fringe 
only  of  the  real  opportunity. 

In  the  Concrete 

Calcutta  is  the  largest  student  center;  in  its  colleges  are 
registered  more  men  than  in  Harvard,  Yale,  Princeton,  and 
Chicago.  Besides  the  12,000  university  students  there  are 
upwards  of  30,000  boys  in  the  great  high  schools  of  Calcutta. 
Within  a half  mile  of  86  College  Street — the  student  and 
boys’  buildings — there  are  4,000  university  men  and  6,000 
high  school  boys.  The  Association  conducts  a hostel  or 
boarding  club,  and  maintains  numerous  Bible  classes,  lec- 
tures and  religious  meetings.  Open-air  services  are  fre- 
quently held,  attended  largely  by  students. 

Adjoining  the  college  branch  is  the  boys’  building  given 
by  Mr.  Wanamaker.  The  well-equipped  gymnasium  is  an 
absolutely  unique  thing  among  Indian  schoolboys.  Already 
two  young  graduates  of  Calcutta  University  are  engaged  in 
secretarial  work  in  the  boys’  branch  alone.  The  central 
branch,  in  the  business  section  of  the  city,  is  working  for 
Europeans  and  is  paying  all  expenses,  including  the  salary 
of  the  secretary. 

Madras  is  the  metropolis,  capital,  social  and  educational 


13 


College  and  Boys’  Buildings,  Calcutta 

center  of  a Presidency  more  populous  than  the  British 
Isles.  In  this  city  to  which  these  millions  turn  for  their 
standard  of  civilization  the  Association  is  becoming  an  in- 
creasing force  for  righteousness.  Within  the  splendid  build- 
ing on  the  Esplanade  600  members  are  being  influenced  in 
the  direction  of  Christ’s  conception  of  manhood.  Caste  is 
being  destroyed  among  the  sixty  residents  (twelve  races)  of 
the  hostel  and  the  many  more  restaurant  patrons  who'  eat 
together — Mohammedans,  Parsees,  Hindus,  and  Christians. 
For  several  years  its  business  and  technical  courses  have 
led  the  Presidency  in  the  number  of  students  who1  made 
the  Government  examinations.  The  physical  department 
guides  the  exercise  of  the  city  and  is  leading  men  to  supple- 
ment the  reflective  Indian  life  with  an  appreciation  and 
possession  of  the  physique  demanded  by  modern  conditions. 
Without  devices  inquiring  Hindus  fill  the  Bible  classes,  lim- 
ited in  number  and  duration  only  by  the  endurance  of  the 


14 


available  teaching  force.  Business  men  are  being  won  to 
Christian  faith  and  to  belief  in  the  whole  missionary  enter- 
prise. An  Army  Branch  is  nightly  crowded  with  soldiers 
to  find  respite  from  the  press  of  temptations  which,  as  one 
said,  “drive  them  either  to  the  dogs  or  to  be  ‘Bible 
thumpers’.”  These  activities  involve  a budget  of  Rs.  8,000, 
exclusive  of  rentals,  raised  in  Madras,  and  their  direction 
taxes  the  time  and  energy  of  four  Indian  and  three  foreign 
secretaries. 

American  secretaries  are  also  working  in  Allahabad  and 
Bangalore,  while  Britain  has  her  representatives  in  Bombay, 
Rangoon  and  Lahore. 

Work  for  Railway  Men 

Recently  a new  kind  of  work  in  the  Orient  has  been  be- 
gun, namely,  for  railroad  men.  India  has  extensive  rail- 
ways, aggregating  25,931  miles,  with  about  125  division 
points,  making  this  land  the  fifth  in  the  world  in  mileage. 
Most  of  these  lines  are  owned  by  the  Government.  Three 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men  are  employed.  The  men 
in  the  higher  grades  of  the  service  speak  English,  though 
only  5,300  are  Europeans.  The  railroad  Associations  of 
North  America  have  recently  sent  to  India  a secretary, 
Mr.  F.  J.  Michel,  who  has  had  experience  in  the  railroad 
work  in  the  United  States,  to  pioneer  the  work  on  the 
Indian  railways. 


Facts  of  Progress 

Each  year  Associations  are  organized  in  new  centers.  At 
present,  after  scarcely  fifteen  years  of  effort,  there  are  many 
more  than  100  Associations  in  India,  with  a total  member- 
ship of  over  7,000.  In  the  same  period  the  Association  prop- 


15 


G.  S.  Eddy  and  Band  of  Workers 


erty  has  increased  from  $11,000  to  $400,000.  Last  year, 
besides  the  remarkable  tours  of  Secretaries  Eddy  and 
Azariah,  when  literally  hundreds  declared  their  purpose  to 
follow  Christ;  scores  of  men  were  reached  for  the  Chris- 
tian life  by  the  Associations.  Summer  conferences,  similar 
to  Northfield  and  Geneva,  held  in  several  of  the  great  prov- 
inces, have  been  effective  in  deepening  the  spiritual  life, 
increasing  Bible  study,  and  stimulating  men  to  decide  for 
lives  of  service. 


Untabulated  Results 

There  are  results,  not  only  in  statistics  of  attendance  in 
gymnasiums,  reading  rooms,  and  Bible  classes,  but  also  of 
Hindus  who  have  left  all  to  follow  the  Christ.  There  are  no 
mass  movements  among  the  students ; for  this  reason  the  in- 


16 


dividual  decision  is  all  the  more  significant.  A Brahman 
student  after  three  years’  residence  in  an  Association  hostel 
decided  that  he  could  only  serve  the  people  of  his  fatherland 
by  becoming  a Christian.  It  meant  torture,  starving,  threat- 
ening, and  final  disinheritance.  But  he  forsook  all,  re- 
mained staunch,  and  is  to-day  a tower  of  strength  among 
his  fellows.  Our  Savior’s  word  that  a man’s  foes  shall  be 
those  of  his  own  household  is  being  constantly  illustrated. 
The  fibre  of  some  of  the  young  Indian  converts  would  do 
credit  to  the  young  men  of  any  land. 

Caste  or  Character 

A year  ago  I was  traveling  from  Calcutta  up  to  Allahabad. 
Half  way  up  the  line  a Brahman  gentleman  entered  the  car. 
We  engaged  in  conversation.  At  length  I brought  him  to 
his  attitude  toward  Christianity.  He  soon  inquired  if  I 
knew  anything  about  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associa- 
tion. With  a good  deal  of  pride  he  told  me  that  his  son— -a 
medical  student  in  Calcutta — was  living  in  the  Association 
hostel  (boarding  house).  “Has  he  no  Brahman  relatives  in 
the  city  with  whom  he  could  live?”  I asked.  “Don’t  you 
know  that  in  the  Association  hostel  he  is  daily  eating  with 
low  caste  Hindus,  with  Mohammedans  and  with  Christians, 
and  so  losing  his  caste?”  “Yes,”  he  said,  “there  are  Brah- 
man relatives  he  might  live  with  and  they  have  been  anxious 
to  have  him,  but  I would  much  rather  have  him  live  at  the 
Association  and  lose  his  caste  but  keep  his  character,  than 
have  him  live  with  the  holy  relatives,  adhere  to  the  forms  of 
caste,  but  lose  his  character.”  Indian  parents  are  quick  to 
realize  what  is  beneficial  to  their  sons.  In  the  great  cities 
there  are  none  who  understand  more  vividly  than  the  edu- 
cated men  that  India’s  only  moral  hope  lies  in  the  teachings 
of  the  Gospel. 


17 


By  Indians  for  Indians 


Our  aim  is  not  to  undertake  all  this  work  ourselves.  The 
great  bulk  of  Indian  students  can  only  be  evangelized  by 
Indian  students.  We  are  building  up  strong  Associations  at 
pivotal  points  to  be  examples  to  an  entire  community,  and  to 
serve  as  training  schools  for  the  large  numbers  of  young 
men  on  whom  will  rest  ultimately  the  entire  burden.  It  is 
apparent  that  a high  standard  must  be  set.  We  must  have 
a force  of  secretaries  at  all  these  places  sufficient  not  only 
to  carry  on  the  daily  routine  of  an  all-round  Association; 
they  must  have  a large  amount  of  time  to  give  to  teaching, 
training,  and  inspiring  strong  men  to  lead  the  Indian  Chris- 
tian forces.  Largely  through  the  influence  of  one  of  our 
splendid  native  secretaries  a portentous  movement  has  been 
begun  by  which  the  Indian  Christians  of  a large  district 
(including  many  business  and  professional  men)  have  set 
apart  some  of  their  own  finest  young  men  to  go  away  into  a 
distant  province  where  the  need  is  very  great,  learn  a new 
language,  and  serve  as  the  first  foreign  missionaries  of  that 
church.  Nor  is  this  an  isolated  case;  in  Ceylon,  Bengal,  and 
other  parts  of  India,  young  men  in  enlarging  numbers  are 
giving  their  lives  to  this  work.  In  the  theological  seminary 
at  Insein,  Burma,  about  one-fourth  of  all  the  students  are 
volunteers  preparing  to  go  into  new  districts  among  strange 
peoples  of  different  tongues  as  foreign  missionaries  to  pro- 
claim the  Christ. 


Increase  of  Christianity 

The  Christian  Church  in  India  has  claims  on  the  Church 
in  the  West  as  never  before.  Turn  to  the  Imperial  Census. 
Three  decades  ago  Christianity  increased  by  twenty-two 
per  cent  over  the  preceding  decade.  In  the  next  decade 


18 


Association  in  Bangalore 

there  was  another  increase  of  twenty-two  per  cent.  From 
1891-1901  the  Imperial  Census  shows  an  increase  of  twenty- 
seven  per  cent.  If  we  go  more  deeply  into  the  report  it  ap- 
pears, on  eliminating  the  Romanists  (who  have  shown  but 
little  recent  increase),  that  the  number  of  native  Protestant 
Christians  in  India  during  this  last  decade  has  increased 
over  the  preceding  decade  by  no  less  than  forty-eight  per 
cent.  It  is  not  often  that  investments  give  such  a large  and, 
best  of  all,  such  a soul  satisfying  return. 


High  Recognition 

Prominent  men  in  India  have  not  been  slow  to  recognize 
that  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  came  to  India 
at  an  opportune  moment,  and  that  on  its  efforts  hang  the 


19 


Sir  Henry  Blake,  Governor  of  Ceylon,  Laying  the  Corner  Stone  of  the 

Colombo  Building 


destinies  of  great  numbers  of  people.  What  may  we  not 
expect  if  the  Association  continues  to  reach  in  large  num- 
bers the  very  leaders  of  Indian  thought,  the  new  aristocracy 
of  Western  learning  and  government  position.  In  Allahabad 
the  senior  man  in  the  civil  service  of  the  province,  Sir  John 
Stanley,  is  the  president  of  the  Association ; the  financial 
secretary  to  the  Government  is  vice-president.  The  treas- 
urer of  the  Association  is  the  provincial  auditor-general. 
The  honorary  president  at  Rangoon  is  the  Lord  Bishop ; the 
president  is  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Lower  Burma.  The  last  two  governors  of  the  Province  of 
Bengal,  with  a population  as  large  as  the  United  States,  have 
been  the  last  two  presidents  of  the  Association  of  Calcutta. 
The  presidents  of  the  Madras  and  Bombay  Associations  are 
men  prominent  in  banking  and  business  circles,  respectively. 


Government  Favor 

Even  more  significant  is  the  approval  shown  by  the  Gov- 
ernment itself.  The  Government  of  Burma  sold  the  Asso- 
ciation a building  site  valued  at  from  Rs.  75,000  to  Rs.  100,- 
000  for  Rs.  30,000  (to  be  paid  without  interest  in  ten  an- 
nual installments)  ; besides  this  they  made  a cash  grant 
toward  the  building  of  Rs.  8,000.  The  Government  of  Cey- 
lon in  recognition  of  the  splendid  public  service  rendered  the 
community  by  the  Colombo  Young  Men’s  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, has  furnished  an  ideal  site  for  the  new  building  in 
that  most  desirable  and  expensive  part  of  the  city,  the  Fort. 
In  Calcutta,  besides  helping  with  the  building  itself,  the 
Government  of  Bengal  is  making  a monthly  grant  towards 
running  expenses  of  Rs.  100. 


21 


“Anywhere,  Provided  It  Be  Forward.” 


It  is  not  with  hesitancy  that  the  movement  in  India  ap- 
peals to  the  North  American  Associations.  It  is  their  crea- 
tion—it  has  been  called  into  being  by  the  missionaries  of  the 
Church.  It  is  reaching  Europeans  of  power  in  large  num- 
bers. It  is  influencing  Indian  young  men  all  over  the  Em- 
pire to  go  into  Government  position  and  professional  life, 
servants  not  of  themselves,  but  of  their  fellowmen  and  of 
the  Most  High.  It  is  influencing  some  of  the  choicest  of 
these  to  give  their  lives  to  Association  and  missionary  work. 
It  is  succeeding  beyond  all  expectation.  It  has  the  support 
and  interest  of  officials,  business  men,  and  the  Government 
itself.  It  is  becoming  a mighty  power  for  evangelism  with 
the  most  mighty  men  of  a myriad  nation.  Not  only  without 
hesitancy  does  India  approach  the  home  Associations,  but 
also  with  a great  boldness  and  confidence  that  they  will 
rise  to  their  splendid  privilege  in  sending  out  men  and 
money  and  prayer  on  such  a scale  that  the  world  shall 
realize  that  the  religion  of  Christ  is  indeed  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation  for  all  mankind. 


22 


CURRENT  PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  FOREIGN 
DEPARTMENT 

3 West  Twenty-Ninth  Street,  New  York 


JAPANESE  YOUNG  MEN  IN  WAR  AND  PEACE 

By  GALEN  M.  FISHER 

A twenty-eight  page  illustrated  pamphlet  giving  an  account 
of  the  work  of  Associations  in  Japan.  Price,  postpaid,  5 cents 
each;  50  cents  per  dozen;  $3.00  per  hundred. 


INDIA’S  YOUNG  MEN— THEIR  PERILS  AND 
SAFEGUARDS 

By  EDWARD  C.  CARTER 

Price,  postpaid,  5 cents  each;  50  cents  per  dozen;  $3.00  per 
hundred. 


FOREIGN  MAIL 

Published  in  the  interests  of  the  Foreign  Department  of  the 
International  Committee  of  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations. 

Issued  Quarterly,  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Price, 
5 cents  per  copy;  20  cents  a year  for  single  subscriptions;  10  cents 
in  clubs  of  ten  or  more. 


23 


>-. : ; 


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tional Committee  of  Young  Men’s 


m 


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V *T  Y V 


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